TSC Finally Sends Promotion Letters To Promoted Teachers Across the Country
More than 23,388 teachers who were successfully promoted following the January and February 2024 TSC promotion interviews have started receiving appointment and deployment letters, marking a major milestone in the Teachers Service Commission’s (TSC) ongoing promotion process.
The TSC has finalized the lists of promoted educators, which have now been distributed to County and Sub-County Directors across the country. These letters are being printed and handed over to the successful candidates, with several counties already deploying teachers to schools with existing staffing gaps.
Promotions Follow Parliamentary Approval
The deployment of teachers comes shortly after the National Assembly Committee on Education, led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, gave TSC the green light to implement the promotions. The Commission had initially planned to promote 25,252 teachers, but only 23,388 have been approved for posting so far.
Earlier, Parliament allocated Sh1 billion for the exercise—an amount sufficient to support the promotion of only 5,690 teachers. This funding shortfall forced the TSC to scale down its original promotion targets.
Controversy Over Promotion Criteria
The promotion process has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, who accused the TSC of bias and unfairness. One of the major issues raised was that 5,291 teachers were promoted despite not meeting the minimum three-year service requirement, as outlined in the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG).
Among the grievances raised were:
- Promotions before completion of the mandatory three-year period
- Junior teachers leapfrogging more experienced colleagues
- Uneven distribution of promotion opportunities across counties
In response, the TSC reviewed its list and removed 1,864 teachers who did not meet the eligibility requirements. These positions were redistributed based on the number of qualified applicants in each region.
TSC to Roll Out New Promotion Framework
TSC CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia assured the Parliamentary Education Committee that new guidelines are being developed to standardize the promotion process and eliminate discrepancies in future exercises.
Key changes include:
- A new automated promotion system via the TSC online portal to handle applications, shortlisting, interview results, and issuing letters
- Standardized interview scoring criteria, which will consider factors like appraisals, leadership roles, age, and professional contributions
- Predictable promotion pathways for teachers in common cadre grades, provided they meet the three-year experience threshold
- Affirmative action for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) to align teachers’ grades with responsibilities in underserved regions
Macharia also explained that, in some cases, the three-year experience rule was temporarily waived to address shortages—especially for principals and deputy principals—where eligible candidates were insufficient.
For example, in Grade D3 (Principal), the experience requirement was reduced to six months due to a lack of eligible candidates in Grade D2.
In 18 counties, including Migori, Narok, Busia, and Mandera, the experience threshold for Deputy Principal III (D1) was similarly waived.
Chapter Six Compliance Still Mandatory
Teachers receiving promotions must now submit five clearance documents in line with Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution, which emphasizes leadership and integrity in the public service.
The five required documents are:
- Valid Certificate of Good Conduct from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)
- HELB Clearance Certificate
- Tax Compliance Certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)
- Clearance from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)
- Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) Clearance Certificate
Failure to provide these documents will delay the final confirmation of promotions.
Full List: 19,943 TSC Advertised Promotion Vacancies
In addition to the current promotions, the TSC has also announced 19,943 new promotion vacancies for various positions across the country. Below is a summary of some key vacancies:
TSC LIST OF 19,943 ADVERTISED PROMOTION VACANCIES – JUNE 2024
| No. | Vacancy Code | Position Title | T-Scale | Grade | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5/2024 | Chief Principal (Regular School) | T-Scale 15 | D5 | 44 |
| 2 | 6/2024 | Chief Principal (TTC) | T-Scale 15 | D5 | 3 |
| 3 | 7/2024 | Senior Principal (Regular School) | T-Scale 14 | D4 | 126 |
| 4 | 8/2024 | Senior Principal (TTC) | T-Scale 14 | D4 | 3 |
| 5 | 9/2024 | Principal (Regular School) | T-Scale 13 | D3 | 652 |
| 6 | 10/2024 | Deputy Principal I (TTC) | T-Scale 13 | D3 | 3 |
| 7 | 11/2024 | Deputy Principal II (Secondary School) | T-Scale 12 | D2 | 786 |
| 8 | 12/2024 | Senior Lecturer I (TTC) | T-Scale 12 | D2 | 13 |
| 9 | 13/2024 | Deputy Principal III (Regular School) | T-Scale 11 | D1 | 1,408 |
| 10 | 14/2024 | Senior Lecturer II (TTC) | T-Scale 11 | D1 | 32 |
| 11 | 15/2024 | Senior Master II (Secondary SNE) | T-Scale 11 | D1 | 2 |
| 12 | 16/2024 | Senior Master III (Regular School) | T-Scale 10 | C5 | 1,980 |
| 13 | 17/2024 | Senior Lecturer III (TTC) | T-Scale 10 | C5 | 61 |
| 14 | 18/2024 | Senior Master III (Secondary SNE) | T-Scale 10 | C5 | 6 |
| 15 | 19/2024 | Senior Master IV | T-Scale 9 | C4 | 2,221 |
| 16 | 20/2024 | Senior Lecturer IV (TTC) | T-Scale 9 | C4 | 70 |
| 17 | 21/2024 | Secondary Teacher I (Diploma Only) | T-Scale 8 | C3 | 184 |
| 18 | 22/2024 | Lecturer I | T-Scale 8 | C3 | 7 |
| 19 | 23/2024 | Senior Head Teacher (Regular) | T-Scale 11 | D1 | 254 |
| 20 | 24/2024 | Senior Head Teacher (SNE) | T-Scale 11 | D1 | 7 |
| 21 | 25/2024 | Head Teacher (Regular School) | T-Scale 10 | C5 | 2,130 |
| 22 | 26/2024 | Head Teacher (SNE Primary School) | T-Scale 10 | C5 | 33 |
| 23 | 27/2024 | Deputy Head Teacher II (Regular Primary) | T-Scale 9 | C4 | 3,653 |
| 24 | 28/2024 | Deputy Head Teacher II (SNE) | T-Scale 9 | C4 | 33 |
| 25 | 29/2024 | Senior Teacher I (Regular Primary) | T-Scale 8 | C3 | 4,703 |
| 26 | 30/2024 | Senior Teacher I (SNE Primary School) | T-Scale 8 | C3 | 77 |
| 27 | 31/2024 | Senior Teacher II (Regular Primary) | T-Scale 7 | C2 | 1,364 |
| 28 | 32/2024 | Senior Teacher II (SNE Primary School) | T-Scale 7 | C2 | 81 |
For a full list of all 28 promotion categories, visit the official TSC website or check with your respective County Director’s office.
What’s Next?
The TSC has stated it is seeking additional budgetary support to promote over 20,000 more teachers this year. While this is a step in the right direction, stakeholders and educators alike are calling for a more transparent, equitable, and well-funded promotion system to ensure fair career growth for all teachers in Kenya.
